2026 Arkansas Secretary of State election
November 3, 2026
| ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Elections in Arkansas |
|---|
The 2026 Arkansas Secretary of State election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the secretary of state of Arkansas. Primary elections were held on March 3, and a primary runoff election will be held on March 31. Incumbent secretary of state Cole Jester was appointed in 2024 and is ineligible to run for a full term.
Republican primary
Candidates
Advanced to runoff
- Kim Hammer, state senator from the 16th district[1]
- Bryan Norris, veteran[2]
Eliminated in primary
- Cathy Hardin Harrison, Miller County judge[3]
Endorsements
Kim Hammer
- U.S. senators
- Tom Cotton, Arkansas (2015–present)[4]
- Statewide officials
- Tim Griffin, attorney general of Arkansas (2023–present)[5]
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders, governor of Arkansas (2023–present) and former White House press secretary (2017–2019)[5]
- Cole Jester, secretary of state of Arkansas (2025–present)[6]
- Leslie Rutledge, lieutenant governor of Arkansas (2023–present)[5]
Bryan Norris
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bryan Norris | 91,933 | 34.3 | |
| Republican | Kim Hammer | 90,003 | 33.6 | |
| Republican | Cathy Hardin Harrison | 85,854 | 32.1 | |
| Total votes | 267,790 | 100.0 | ||
Runoff
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bryan Norris | |||
| Republican | Kim Hammer | |||
| Total votes | ||||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Kelly Grappe, marketing specialist[9]
Third-party candidates
Libertarian Party
Nominee
- Michael Pakko, chair of the Libertarian Party of Arkansas and nominee for state treasurer in 2024[10]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[11] | Safe R | August 7, 2025 |
References
- ^ Farrar, Thomas (January 9, 2025). "Arkansas senator Kim Hammer announces candidacy for Secretary of State". KATV. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ "Bryan Norris announces candidacy for Arkansas Secretary of State". White View Now. June 23, 2025. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ Earley, Neal (April 2, 2025). "Miller County Judge announces candidacy for Arkansas secretary of state". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ "Cotton backs Hammer over Norris in Arkansas secretary of state runoff". Arkansas Online. March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Sanders endorses Hammer in secretary of state race". NWA Online. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ "Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester announces endorsement of Kim Hammer". THV11. March 12, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "Cotton backs Hammer over Norris in Arkansas secretary of state runoff". El Dorado News. March 16, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
On Friday, in response to the lineup of endorsements received by Hammer, Norris said he has acquired his own list of endorsements -- from the likes of Mike Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump; Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow;
- ^ "REP Secretary of State". Arkansas Election Night Reporting. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ Campbell, Matt (October 31, 2025). "Kelly Grappe becomes first Democrat to announce 2026 run for secretary of state". Arkansas Times. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ Brock, Roby (February 22, 2026). "Arkansas Libertarians nominate candidates for 2026". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ Jacobson, Louis (August 7, 2025). "Previewing the 2026 Secretary of State Races". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
External links
Official campaign websites